Characterizing Air Emissions from Natural Gas Drilling and Well Completion Operations in Garfield County, CO

From November, 2012 to June, 2016, Colorado State University (CSU) conducted a study characterizing air emissions from natural gas drilling and well completion operations in Garfield County, Colorado. Garfield County supported and is now making available to the community this first-in-class study, providing the most comprehensive assessment of air toxics, ozone precursors and greenhouse gas emission rates from natural gas well drilling and completion operations to date.

CSU researchers collected air samples from three activities during new well development: drilling, hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), and flowback. They quantified air emission rates and dispersion of air toxics, ozone precursors and greenhouse gases during each of these processes.

Colorado State University (CSU) September 2013 - Air emissions study update

PRESS RELEASEJune 14, 2016
GARFIELD COUNTY, CO - The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners received an air emissions study report and presentation from Colorado State University (CSU) June 14. The three-year study is named Characterizing Air Emissions from Natural Gas Drilling and Well Completion Operations in Garfield County, Colorado.full press release-|

June 14, 2016

PRESS RELEASE
Updated July 1, 2016
Data from an extensive multi-year Colorado State University study of air emissions from natural gas operations in Garfield County, Colorado have been presented publicly by a CSU research team.

Study leader Jeffrey Collett, professor and head of CSU's Department of Atmospheric Science, presented the study results during a session of the Garfield County Board of Commissioners June 14. The presentation was streamed live and is archived on the Garfield County government website. Read the county's news release. full press release-|

GARFIELD COUNTY, CO - The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has signed a formal agreement with Colorado State University (CSU) to provide substantial funding for an academic study to collect data on air emissions surrounding well pad activities in Garfield County. The BOCC committed $1 million towards the $1.77 million study from its Oil and Gas Mitigation Fund. The balance of study funding will come from gifts to CSU, including from oil and gas companies. The air emissions study will be conducted over a three-year period beginning in the fall of 2012, and concluding in the fall of 2015. full press release-|

August 20, 2012

COMMUNITY ADVISORY UPDATE
August 20, 2012
Air emissions study under consideration by Garfield County commissioners

Following the presentation of a CSU proposed nearly $1.76 million air quality study August 20, Garfield County Commissioners directed county staff to prepare the terms of an intergovernmental agreement for consideration at a meeting in October, 2012. Gas industry operators have preliminarily agreed to provide approximately $800,000 in matching funds for the study. The county's contribution, of which terms will now be determined for consideration by the Garfield County Commissioners, would come from the oil and gas mitigation fund. full press release-|

August 17, 2012

PRESS RELEASEAugust 17, 2016
Proposal for data gathering on air emissions in Garfield County to be presented to commissioners

Glenwood Springs, CO - The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) will hear a proposal Monday on a Colorado State University (CSU) scientific study to gather air emissions data surrounding natural gas extraction operations in Garfield County. The commissioners requested data collection by an independent researcher to offer the community scientific data surrounding the impacts of drilling near residential communities. CSU, in collaboration with Air Resource Specialists, Inc., will propose the study as the sixth item on the afternoon agenda in the 1 pm meeting of the BOCC August 20 in the County Administration Building at 108 8th Street, Glenwood Springs. full press release-|